


Senses

by Mjthequeen



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:35:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23098672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mjthequeen/pseuds/Mjthequeen
Summary: It wasn't right, Dick knew that. She was messing with him in many ways; his sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste were hers now. He was Starfire's now, whenever she wanted him.DickKori / YJ
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Koriand'r
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52





	1. Sight

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Sentidos](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/566101) by Mjthequeen. 



> Hi! Thanks for giving me a chance :)
> 
> I know that the category here is Teen Titans, but as Starfire us in it, and it's a "RobStar", I decided to post here too, even if it happens on Young Justice.
> 
> FIRST OF ALL: English isn't my first language, I am Brazilian. I have been writing fanfics for a long time in my mother language and I want to start translating them, mainly because the brazilian Young Justice fandom is very small. So any strangeness in translation I'd be very happy to be helped and guided. Thank you!
> 
> I watched the cartoon in portuguese and Dick doesn't have the same "puns" with the words, like in the original. So don't expect it here, as I certainly don't master this part hahahThis story passes after the end of the second season (I didn't like the third, so let's pretend it doesn't exist lol), and Wally came back from the acceleration force, but he and Artemis retired for good.
> 
> \- On Starfire, I like uniforms that show skin. I know it doesn't fit so much with the YJ universe, but I like it, it's my storie, so the uniform is tje DcYou hahah
> 
> \- Each chapter was written thinking about a song from Shy Girls' Timeshare album. There are 6 songs, so one had to stay out hahahaI guarantee that the experience will be a thousand times cooler if you read with the song, with the album :) they are very amazing songs!
> 
> The link to the album is this: https/open./album/1delDCd0G5H1kZE3oNndal?si=lj1xWu5rSL-zuyNe9P0AEA
> 
> Thanks kyoani for the beautiful cover
> 
> The first song is Voyeur's Gaze.
> 
> Good reading! :)

**Sight**

_I'll show you everything_

_Everything you wanted to go home with_

_I'll show you everything_

_Everything your eyes can devour, babe_

_I'll show you everything_

_I can feel the pressure from your gaze now_

_I'll show you everything, I'll show you everything_

Aqualad was certainly saying something. He wouldn't gesture towards the holograms, showing them carefully, if he wasn't saying something that, Dick knew, must be very important. Even though Kaldur projected his voice loud enough for everyone to hear over a long distance, Nightwing did not hear a thing. In his ears, only a noise that reminded him of the waves of the sea against the coast.

Okay, Dick understood that he should have a little more self-control, recognized that he was losing his focus, the one that had been gained with so much effort and hard training, during his many years of constant vigilance. Self-control that had been shaped by Bruce, through effort, and that was really, really important to people like him. For heroes without mutation. But the fact that his mask hid so well the way his eyes looked at something else, which certainly had nothing to do with Aqualad, made it seem easier to just throw that self-control out the window and completely ignore his friend.

10 people in the Watchtower and none of them suspected that their rigid posture, the contracted jaw, were just a hoax.

The reason for his lack of attention had a name and a long red hair, full of curls, falling to her broad, perfect hips. God, Dick was so focused on her that nothing else seemed to exist around him. It was impossible to stop looking at Kori for even a second.

Maybe it was that hair tone – and everyone knew the fall he had for redheads – and also the way the curls sometimes curled together, in an almost organized mess. Perhaps it was the huge, expressive eyes, deeply green, in which he got lost whenever he looked at her for a long time. And everything about her was so designed, it looked so perfect, so… made for him. Especially for him to admire.

Richard had noticed everything, each unusual, unique hue.

The way her tiptoes sometimes lifted slightly off the ground, the screaming urge to fly, forcing her into her core, until she noticed what was happening and stepped firmly back. The way she tilted her head to the side, her ear almost touched her shoulder, and narrowed her beautiful bright eyes, probably confused by some joke that Beast Boy or Impulse had made during a mission. Even now, as she unconsciously ran her tongue over her upper lip, her cupid's bow calling out to him intensely...

Dick almost coughed. He shifted his body weight to another leg and tried to understand, once and for all, what Kaldur was saying, so seriously, looking at everyone at the same time, as a unit. Seriously, Dick really tried, he tried very hard. Didn't work; a few seconds after having absorbed the word "Bialya", and realizing that it was the map of the country they were supposed to look at, his eyes were back on his teammate.

How long had he felt this way about Starfire? A lot of weeks, maybe, if he was calculating right. She had arrived on Earth, therefore on Time, not long ago. Nightwing was there when she fell from the sky, quick as a comet, shouting nonsense in a strange language and destroying things as if they were nothing much. He had been impressed by the living fire on her head, flames dancing around her, while the green energies flowed from her eyes filled with fury. He had been impressed by how each piece of her clothes, too small in her muscles, seemed to sparkle and have been sewn over her turned body, just for her. It was difficult to take his eyes off her from the first minute.

Then, after dodging his electrified sticks too easily, she kissed him. She actually kissed him, holding him by the collar as if doing him a favor, as if the honor were all his – and wasn't it? – and she had glued her lips to his, in an aggressiveness that belonged to her. Their tongues had barely touched when Kori snapped them apart, finally speaking his language. She explained later, more gently and less brusquely, that she had kissed him just to learn the language, since it was a skill that her people had, but still. Nightwing felt responsible for her; Dick, much more.

And if he had been attracted to the girl in the first 10 seconds he had seen her, imagine just having to live with her? It was difficult for him, in his full 20 years, to look at the waist line, which her uniform kept naked, and not to feel the slightest desire to touch her with his fingertips and pull her towards him, against his chest and his groin.

But Starfire was more than just that, just a silly attraction. Dick had been with a good number of women - many of them, talking about it, from the team itself, with whom he had to talk now and try not to think too much about "that" day, in his room, or in her apartment, or in the cheap hotel, or on a wall during a mission, that "things" had happened. He and Babs, for example, continued to have an affair: the colorful friendship was full of deep tones, which they could not shake off.

But with Kori it was different. He wasn't attracted to her the way he had been with Zatanna for two years. No, Dick had never lost his attention so completely when he was with Zatanna, or Barbara, or Rocket, or anyone else. The alien, however, simply seemed to be above that, any screaming sensation he had felt for the others. She seemed… more.

He couldn't help looking at her – and Kori was fogging, completely, slowly, dangerously, his entire field of vision.

He loved watching her train, because she smiled – God, he loved that smile – for him whenever she hit a new and more difficult blow. He loved it when Kori delivered such blow on the field, beating the villains without changing her serious and overwhelming expression. He loved it when the team decided to watch a movie together and she, sitting on the benches, away from the sofas, couldn't stop asking why things were happening that way - he also loved the fact that Kori didn't understand, or refused to do it, which was a "young lady in trouble". He loved the extraordinarily perfect way that those purple uniform shorts were so short that he could see perfectly the way the golden skin on her thighs looked much softer than everything else...

Something told him that Kaldur was speaking louder; some important information should be being passed on. Slowly, Nightwing started to raise his gaze, going over her hips, to her flat, naked belly, totally exposed… How could anyone fight so well in a uniform like that? Damn, he also loved the way she was so sure of herself and her skills, learned in Okaara, or so he understood, in her royal training. He couldn't help thinking that Wonder Woman had certainly approved of her outfit, with a nod and a proud look. Kori wasn't an amazon, but she had the appearance and, in battle, the way of one. Dick bit his bottom lip, continuing his most interesting ride to her purple top, a single green jewel shining at the neckline, right in the center of her massive breasts. He went up to her neck, thinking of a trail of kisses, and, after her chin, lifted high, he found her lips full and moist. Richard felt the need to straighten the collar of his suit, suddenly feeling hot.

Then came the upturned nose, small in her face, and her eyes of sparkling green sclera, under the thick lashes and so, só black it would be... At that moment, Starfire turned her face carefully in his direction.

Nightwing froze in his place, a shiver of "I was caught" going up his spine; his jaw locked. Argh. But Kori just lifted her lips in a contained smile, as if she knew she was being watched, but didn't care at all. As if she could see under his mask.

"What's it?" Dick could hear Cassie asking in a whisper, as if Aqualad really wasn't going to hear her. She had stared in a funny way at the redhead, finding the sudden smile strange. Starfire just shrugged her shoulders, exaggeratedly, and whispered back.

"I finally understood what the Blue Beetle meant..." That was all she answered, but she winked both eyes at Dick, mysteriously, and turned her attention back to the team leader.

Nightwing, now looking at Kaldur, crossed his arms at the breastplate and had to contain a sigh. That was it. She was driving him crazy – and it didn't look like it was going to end anytime soon.

_You can be my voyeur if it turns you on,_

_you can be my voyeur if it turns you on_


	2. Hearing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone that is reading :D
> 
> The song in this chapter is Still Not Falling :)
> 
> Link for the album album/1delDCd0G5H1kZE3oNndal?si=lj1xWu5rSL-zuyNe9P0AEA
> 
> Good reading!

**Hearing**

_I ain't a world class gentleman baby_

_You don't know me like you should, that's ok babe_

_We could work it out or we could work it through_

_We could end it now or we could run it to the ground_

Totally unexpectedly, Barbara had decided to comment on how inattentive he seemed these days. It had happened when he had caressed the exposed skin on her shoulders with his fingertips, but said "huh?" after she said something that, um, should be important. When he heard about paying little attention, and at that point Babs had tilted her head, Dick just raised his eyebrows at her and smiled as if it didn't make any sense – she didn't seem convinced, but he kissed her deeply and the matter ended in their hands together under the sheet.

Fortunately for him, Richard thought as he kissed the skin on her belly, only someone trained by Batman himself could see through his expressions and, thank God, he hadn't been seeing the Dark Knight very often since he moved into the apartment. Bruce and Alfred, accomplices, would certainly have smiled at each other suggestively, at the first sign Dick gave of being distracted. Robin, Tim, for his part, was too busy with his teenage problems to care or notice much about his older brother.

Still, Nightwing knew he should start taking care. He was not that type of guy who mixes things up and makes them confused; he had learned how to separate work from romance when he started dating Zatanna and needed to pretend a purely friendly concern when she got hurt on a mission. Since then, he had had enough romances with superheroines – girls who understood that he couldn't dedicate himself 100% to them, because he already dedicated himself 100% to heroism, saving the world, blah blah blah – to understand how to handle a relationship with someone with similar responsibilities to his.

That was why he should be more careful than he was being now. He couldn't keep an eye on her, when he should gather the clues from the last mission, when he needed to plan training with Aqualad, when he had to make reports. Dick already had an obligation, a duty, which he was neglecting because of Starfire and her beautiful face – it was time to put an end to it.

Easy to talk. It was really hard to contain all the times he said to Kaldur, directly and without embarrassment, that he wanted to go to Alpha – just because she was there too. His Atlantic friend was beginning to suspect that something was wrong; usually Nightwing preferred to stay in the tower, next to him, monitoring the Team, and would only leave if it was an emergency where he was extremely needed. But when Aqualad put Starfire on the front line, Dick just couldn't resist. He wanted to go. He wanted to see her in action, because, God, there was nothing else, since he met her, that he liked to admire so much.

He loved the way she fought, her flexible muscles moving in a way that he couldn't in a thousand years, even with all the training and circus background in his veins. She flowed, she threw herself, she experienced the blows on her body as if they were never going to penetrate her luminous tamaranean skin.

But mostly, Dick loved her war cries.

Whenever she suffered a heavier attack, Kori would murmur words in her native language, wrapping her tongue in phonemes that would certainly sound coarse and rude in other voices, but not in hers. In hers, he hated having to admit, they sounded like sighed kisses, old music sung under a lute. Honestly, he couldn't understand a thing. He would bet, by her irritated expression, that there must be some bad words. But, heavens, Kori was just beautiful cursing like that – and he just hoped to hear more.

When she spoke Tamaranean, her voice was more hoarse and low, so different from the sweet and caring way she spoke normally. It felt like a breath, a promise that she would do unthinkable things... Dick would like to know what. Starfire had a high-pitched voice, extremely feminine, and, more than that, naturally... Sexy? Yes, that was the word. Even when she said something innocent and silly, when she asked something whose answer seemed obvious and simple to him, God, Richard could have sworn it sounded like a provocation to his hearing – but, in the end, it was probably just the melodious tone she used. But not in battle. In battle, Kori was aggressive.

And he was fucking attracted to both.

Kori cursing angrily, in a commanding voice that belonged to a warrior, trained with blood and exposed, plucked, wounds, and a princess, a leader by birth. And her curious Star, babbling, in her delightful voice, running her tongue over her red lips, how everything was so different now than she used to know; letting out passionate sighs about all the things she liked on Earth, like cotton candy, jam, soda and salad with lots of mustard. Muttering how she liked the view of the sea and being there, with them, with him. Laughing… Her laughter was like bells, vibrating through his chest and making him smile with her, laugh with her, even without knowing what was funny this time. He could hear that sound for endless hours.

There is nothing more to say about this; Richard was sure that, in a crowded room where everyone was talking, he could spot her, eyes closed, without a problem. Her voice had already left a scar on his chest, period. A deep mark, still undefined, but that would take a long time to come out.

"I know it doesn't suit you so much," his attention was drawn when Batgirl started to speak from his side, her deep blue eyes fixed on his face. He preferred green. "but we were thinking about going to a karaoke next week. Everyone will be there, you know, to relax." She shrugged. She didn't need to relax at all, but she enjoyed the company of others. "You don't need to come if you don't…"

"I will" Dick interrupted, too quickly. A voice trying to sing some difficult music and bursting out laughing filled his thoughts and, involuntarily, the ex Boy Wonder smiled.

Babs, frowning, looked at him in a funny way and then in the direction that Nightwing was looking, before she got close.

"Yeah, I bet you will," she replied, good-naturedly, waving to a Starfire who had just caught her eye.

Dick was distracted thinking, for a second, that the only sound he hadn't yet heard from Kori and, God, how he wished he had the chance, were the moans and sighs, calling out his name, leaving her without any control, when he would be on top, kissing the middle of her perfect golden thighs.

_Somehow I knew that you would_

_know me better than that_


	3. Smell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi guys! Nem chapter for you :D
> 
> Today's music is Under Attack!
> 
> Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/0I0iYRhvFN8m3IxaLtuc9B
> 
> Good reading!

**Smell**

_With my lonely lights at night, away from no one at all_

_It's a feeling I got to know, I don't know right now_

_You will burn down all the bridges_

_Cause love at first sight, is better than love from last night_

_Cause your lips' under attack_

_Girl, you got it bad,_

_Under attack_

Grayson had work to do in Bludhaven. More than that, in fact, Dick had an apartment in Bludhaven, a place that you can certainly call "home" and bring your friends to meet and spend the weekend. Not that the new Team HQ, on the edge of Happy Harbor, was not a home. Quite the contrary: it housed all the members that, for one reason or another – among them the banal "what the hell, I can't go back to my home planet!" or "so, like, I'm from a totally different timeline" and "dude, I'm green!" –, didn't have a home.

Kaldur was one of the few who knew that Dick had a great place in Blud, just waiting for him, and he had no idea why his friend had decided to spend that evening at the HQ. There was no case that they were currently working on, no clue that they had not already investigated and overturned. Perhaps, if M'gann were to give an opinion, she would say that Nightwing was only enjoying a little human contact; but, honestly, it didn't seem to be the case, since the aforementioned was sitting in an armchair, in a far corner, with the notebook on his lap and headphones.

Frowning, the Atlantic shook his head and decided to go towards his room; maybe he was just thinking too much about it. It was not his problem what Dick wanted while there and, of course, the hero was welcome to come whenever he wanted.

Richard didn't take his eyes off the small screen, thankful that the Internet, a real blessing, would allow him to report on the latest murder case in Blud, right there, without having to travel to the city. The truth, however, is that he should go. He had to do the usual patrol, show the criminals that he was watching – and that Tuesday was not his day off. For a moment, he thought about how Batman never left Gotham; and that only served to make Dick sink further into his chair.

But Richard knew why he stayed... his motive had a name and the most beautiful smile in the galaxy. He stopped typing abruptly, staring at the monitor without actually seeing anything. A few minutes ago, he had almost stood up, said goodbye to a Superboy who cooked cookies between smiles with his red-haired girlfriend, and crossed the Zeta Tube. Almost. Before hr could move any muscle and get out of that too comfortable chair, she appeared.

Kori was walking beside Cassie who, although much younger, seemed to understand her completely. The two were leaving the training room together, but Dick barely moved his eyes when Wonder Girl greeted him excitedly; he had something more interesting to face: Starfire in gym clothes, sweaty and still breathing heavily.

First Grayson wondered if she had just come out of any of the scenes that he stupidly imagined – ! – in the shower, lately. The way her skin looked more pink from muscle strain, glistening from the heat, stirred something in his lower abdomen. It sent a shiver up his spine and he almost held his breath. She, without looking the least bit affected, smiled at him as if it was nothing; a single drop of sweat coming from her temple to the tip of her chin. Dick wanted to follow it with his lips. Cassie disappeared, mumbling something about being in the showers, but he didn't even understand, because Starfire was approaching too fast.

Her scent, mixed with the hot, salty scent of sweat, made him swallow, feeling deeply attracted by that smell so… raw and intense. Penetrating every part of his mind, making him dizzy and so hers.

"Richard," she murmured in greeting, still smiling. Dick had to give her credit; Kori was one of the few who knew his identity (and that Batman didn't find out about it!) and took advantage of it whenever she could, with a smile that was not at all innocent on her moist lips. She was the only one who called him by name, not nickname. And, God, he loved it. "I thought you would have already gone..." she commented, narrowing her eyes in a confused way.

He smirked, feeling good-natured. She had the gift to making him happy.

"Without saying goodbye to my favorite girl?" He joked, but there was a serious tone deep in his voice, under his sly smile. Kori smiled, shaking her head from side to side.

"Hmm... I thought Batgirl was already gone..." Starfire was clearly joking, as he had done, but she raised her red eyebrows, as if daring him to answer her, biting her lower lip in a smile. Dick's, however, died, and a small pout was inevitable to emerge. Before he could answer it, however, she continued: "Richard, would you wait here just a few minutes? I'm just going to take a shower."

Of course, he could say no. Of course he should say "I'm sorry, but I have to go," because there was a whole city that needed him. Priorities, Dick, priorities...

He sighed, still in the chair. He had said yes, of course, that he would wait without a problem. Could he say no to those irises of her, full of expectations? For her hot, sweet scent, burning his nose in a delicious way? No, he thought, laughing at himself, Richard couldn't deny her a thing.

He typed the report again, a single part missing. Before he could finish, however, the smell of roses and cotton, with strawberries and sugar, so specific, invaded his nose in an almost frightening way, leaving his finger still in the air, a few millimeters from the keyboard. Without warning, Kori sat on the armrest of the chair, her damp hair falling over his shoulder, her hips at his waist. A little more close, and they would touch.

Nightwing could feel the warmth of her skin up close, now she was dressed in a cool dress, even though he was dressed in her full uniform. Shit. He wanted to pull her onto his lap, sit her on his groin, where the grip was now starting to bother him. He wanted to pull her by the ass and squeeze it between his fingers, brushing his intimacy over hers, moving the dress up until it disappeared and her breasts emerged, her nipples swollen...

"Here" Kori's voice drove him out of his thoughts. He saw her spread a book over the notebook, her mouth too close to his ear. Dick restrained the urge to bite his lower lip, closing his hand, on the side opposite to what she was, with great force, to suppress his carnal impulses. Her breath, against his face, was fresh mint and, mixing with the floral and sugary odors, made him dizzy again. This was too much.

Was she doing this on purpose? Teasing him on purpose? Did she already know the character of what Dick felt for her and was torturing him for it? He forced himself to pick up the book, trying to divert his thoughts. The scent was turning to taste, on the tip of his tongue.

"You were right, I really liked it a lot. The literature from your planet continues to fascinate me…" Kori had started to speak, but he was slowly absorbing the words. The fresh air from her breath came to his nose and the feeling was mixed.

He loved it.

He hated that it was just it.

Dick looked away at the cover, it was The Art of War. He had borrowed it a few days ago and although she initially refused because of the title - Kori hated anything about wars, she didn't see them as necessary but as a big waste of time, despite being trained as a warrior, and took the name "the art of" as a compliment - he insisted that she take it, that she would like it, as the warrior she was. He was glad that she really had given it a chance, just because of him. Because he had indicated.

Grayson turned his head to give his opinion on it, but then he realized the error. Starfire was closer than he imagined and their noses almost touched in an Eskimo kiss. She was still wet from the bath and the scent of sweet strawberries came from her hair; the roses and the cotton coming from the tanned and shiny skin. It was impossible to decide what he thought was best. The mix of everything was the best thing. He wanted to plunge his face into the curve of her neck, kiss her and suck her with the tip of his tongue, to find out if the flavor went with the fragrance. It was a sensual mixture, albeit sweet and daring, almost bittersweet. It was all at the same time.

It was all her.

It smelled like an afternoon full of giggles and holding hands. It smelled like sheets damp with sweat, saliva and hot skins. It smelled of champagne and strawberry cake, a celebration, a wish, light kisses and then stronger, anxious and needy kisses.

Dick knew he could tilt his face just a little and end his agony, his trembling desire, and kiss her. He was still thinking about their previous kiss, when she had just arrived on the planet and it had happened out of necessity. The smell of blood, at that time, was mixed with an odor that he was almost certain to belong to some exotic flower, beautiful like her, from her home planet. It had been perfect, as it could be now. But did it mean anything more than language transfer? Richard wanted to find out, wanted so badly. He could.

Kori parted her lips, mint almost freezing the tip of his nose. Heavens. She was perfect.

"Kori, I was thinking that we could…" Cassie started to speak, coming from the bathroom, still with the towel around her neck and a huge smile on her flushed face. Shee stopped as soon as he saw the situation he had interrupted, his blue eyes widening. Nightwing swore he almost saw the blond hair turning red as her cheeks. She took a step back. "Uh… I-I'm sorry, I can talk later!" And she turned abruptly, literally flying out of there.

Dick couldn't help frowning in irritation, but Kori had laughed at the girl's reaction and turned away from him. Before he could stop her, she stood up.

"Thanks again for the book, Dick," she murmured, smiling, and he wondered where the "Richard" he liked so much was.

"Hm… You're welcome…" he replied, disgusted by the opportunity he had missed. Just when he was building up courage…

"I'm going to find out what Cassie wanted. See you later?" Her tone was clearly rhetorical and she started walking, on her back, away from him, smiling in that mysterious way he hated to love. Dick took his time to look at her legs, that blessed dress so short…

He almost called her. He almost told her to stay, because she was already all over him, impregnating his mind. He almost dragged her to his apartment and leaned over her on the sofa, kissing every exposed piece of skin and touching the most intimate area, which, he was sure, he could leave so moist that the only name she would remember forever was his.

Almost.

"Yeah, see you later," he replied, not believing in himself. Kori turned the hall, looking very happy about something he would never know what it was.

Nightwing was left alone, her addictive scent on his uniform, on his skin. God help him, not a million baths would make him forget that magical perfume.

Another long night in Bludhaven.

_No more clubs, no more parties_

_No more drugs, and no more shame_


	4. Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: One more for you!
> 
> We'r almost at the end!
> 
> Today's song is Without :)
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/track/0FcqpPVNyFGQNF37Go50Sd?si=h7A49bReSpWK5VAQaqdhTQ

**Touch**

_Yesterday I woke up, in an empty bed_

_I was dreaming 'bout the things, that I should've said_

_Just sedated my cell phone, my mobile_

_I've got a clear, vision_

_Visions don't make up for love_

It was very clear, whenever he entered the room, that Nightwing wasn't just any regular guy.

The Team always raised their heads, ceasing to do whatever they were doing, as soon as he appeared at the door. After the fear of talking to him passed, the younger members constantly sought him out for advice on training and how to act with the "mask" in general - because Dick was extremely attentive and dedicated, he always knew where each of them should improve, and more than that, he, of the founding members, was the one with the greatest heroic experience.

That is why the Team would stand in line if Dick told them to line up, or they would hold hands, silly, in a circle, if Dick told them to join hands, even if the current leader was Aqualad.

"You should plan our next training session," Kaldur had said in his too soft voice, arms crossed over his chest, "you are the best at it."

Richard spared himself the humility of saying that Barbara could do as much as he could, maybe even better, or even Tim. They had all had the same master. He, Dick, couldn't deny that he loved to lead, even if only in short training. So, without thinking about it too much, Grayson accepted with a smile; one that also lit up Megan's greenish face and Conner's pale, reminding them of the old days. Joyful laughter after a unique mental connection between the four caused some members to raise their eyebrows, without fully understanding.

Great idea, Dick thought. So everyone on the team was summoned to the training session, always scheduled for the night, almost dawn, on Monday - the day that everyone should leave free for the team. The new gym, equipped and large enough for everyone to be extremely comfortable, was full and few knew that he was going to coordinate things this time; it was a pleasant surprise that stimulated the team as a whole. When it started, the training was clearly already yielding more than normal!

Kaldur, in a link with Megan, done almost naturally, was thinking that this was thanks to Nightwing's fortifying aura and his natural gift for leadership. He should never have left that job.

Everything was going wonderfully, more than Dick could have predicted. He helped Cassie and Jaime with their short and long reach movements. He put Bart and Karen to fight each other, since they had never faced each other or opponents with similar techniques. He rebuked Megan for levitating her stick, inches away from her thin fingers, instead of using her hands, and ignored Barbs's sarcastic comments, which, between one blow and the next, she murmured about all the things she could do better than him. He wanted to shut her up with his own lips, but that wouldn't be prudent. Garfield and Conner increased their melee skills and Aqualad accompanied them. Sometimes, standing between one group and another, Nightwing demonstrated his innate strategy by showing how he could defeat those with powers, even if he himself had none. Things were going well.

Until that moment, about 20 minutes for the training to end.

“Nightwing, could you teach me how to use this equipment?”

Dick ran out of breath.

God, that idea of him running the training had been the worst of them all. Worse than hiding that there was a traitor on the team, a long time ago. Worse than the idea they had, together, of faking Artemis's death and omitting the truth from the whole team. Okay, maybe Dick was overreacting, but those were his thoughts when he saw Starfire right there, hands on her hips and frowning at the rings suspended in the air, alongside other gym equipments.

He tries to maintain his composure by pushing his shoulders back and inflating his chest under his uniform. Okay, they've trained together many times, that's no big deal. It's not like he's often thinking about all that exposed golden skin. Or about the firm muscles of her legs, very long and without spots. Not even her wavy red hair, falling like fire to her broad hips.

It isn’t as if he and Barbs had put a definitive end to that colorful friendship, which had lasted for years between endings and restarts, three weeks ago. Not that he was too busy to meet any new girl or call the ones he already knew, his most sensual tone of voice ready to be used. His wonderful blue eyes, which certainly didn't work with Kori, ready to seduce the most beautiful girl in the bar. Okay, Dick was definitely not that long without having sex. 1 month. 1 month only, it has nothing to do. It's not even much! On second thought, for those who had an almost daily frequency, that was a very large number, yes sir...

“Hm?” Grayson struggles to say, trying to chase away thoughts. He hardly believed he was counting the days. Truly counting. Almost scratching the squares on the calendar! Wally would laugh forever if he knew that.

Kori looks at him with a raised eyebrow, a smile on the corner of her red lips.

“The rings, isn't that the name?” And she points with her finger, her long pink nail. Dick still looks like an idiot. He had understood; but suddenly, he wished he didn’t. “I saw you hanging from them the other day. It looked… interesting.” Something changes in her tone, naturally bubbly and warm, when she says the last word. It brings chills to the back of the ex-prodigy boy's neck. Argh.

Knowing this is too much for his sanity, Richard looks around for an excuse.

“Ah, I would love to, Kori, but…” He is silent; he was about to say that he needed to help any other member of the team, anyone, but they are all very committed to their respective exercises and don’t seem to need or even remember his existence. Nightwing compresses a sigh, looking back at the owner of his thoughts. “Um... I would love to teach you, the phrase is just that.”

Starfire laughs, looking at him funny.

“You are being so... weird these days, Richard. It's everything all right?” She crosses her arms, shifting her body weight from one foot to the other. She murmured his name like no one else. He is grateful that Kori decided to wear her usual uniform and not some sweatpants, like Cassie and Barbs. Because, damn it, if that's possible, she looks even more beautiful in sweatpants.

“Your impression” he says, trying to look casual. Honestly, he’s very frustrated; 1 month is a lot.

Suddenly he and Barbs broke up seems like a bad idea; they were great friends and got along very well in bed. Neither she nor he ever needed to say what they wanted and when they wanted. One night, Barbara appeared in her apartment, a naughty smile on her drawn lips. In another, Dick missed Gotham and usually found her at the top of buildings that, _by coincidence_ , neither Robin nor Batman would pass. And now here he was, practically afraid to speak, act or touch Kori in any way she could thought was inappropriate.

Shit, he was so into her that it was crazy. He was seeing her in every corner, hearing her voice anywhere and with the smell of her hair on the tip of his nose. But did she want that, too? Did she feel the same way?

Kori, in his eyes, was an enigma. Sometimes Dick thought she was open to him, that she wanted him too. It happened when he saw the brightest glow in her green irises, a warmth that showed more than simple friendship. Sometimes it just seemed like he was confusing everything; perhaps her people were naturally more in touch and affectionate looks, no big deal for her.

“So, will you help me or not?” And, after saying it, Starfire blinks her purely emerald eyes, looking impatient. She is using the inhibitory collar for training; at first Kori was really against using them, for reminding her too much of the Gordanians' bonds, but eventually she had gotten used to it, when Kaldur wanted them to try without using their powers. At least, with the new upgrades, the collars were thinner and more delicate; they almost looked like an accessory.

Dick coughs.

“Um, yes, of course.”

He looks at the rings, trying to focus. Too high for Kori to reach. Dick climbs a support on the side to decrease the height.

“How do you get up there by yourself?” Okay, she's talking. Yeah, he can focus on that. In the exercise.

“Now that I'm used to it, a trampoline”he says, stepping down from the support. Adjusted to 7'8 inches, it should be enough. “But since this is your first time, I better be able to support you.

Kori frowns - and, God, she's still beautiful.

“Hmm... First time... It’s true that you have already given me many first experiences.” She murmurs, a very small smile on her wonderful lips. Dick, however, chokes, starting to cough. Argh. This had been no sexual innuendo; he needs to control himself. He had really helped her with many things before the others, for example, having been the first to try to fight her, to have her handcuffs removed, then the first kiss on a human... Thinking about it, he had to shake his head. Kori looks at him between humor and concern. “Are you okay?”

Grayson needs to clear his throat before saying:

“Yeah, sorry.”

Not looking so convinced, but eager to start the exercise soon, Kori starts to stretch her arms backwards, as she had been taught there on Earth, really. She said to Kaldur, when asked, that Okaara's stretches were quite different and more complicated. Considering how flexible the girl was - and Dick had thought about it too many times - it must have been very effective.

"Please, guide me" she asked.

Dick, who was slowly moving his eyes down the line of her neck, reaching the purple top, blinked a few times to focus.

“This is a strength exercise, mainly, Kori. Because of the inhibitory collar, you can only use that of your muscles, so you need to concentrate it here” And, in his own body, he traces a line from his shoulders to his hips. “Always staying stiff.” Starfire tilts her head, like a confused cat, narrowing her emerald eyes. With a smile, Dick can only think how adorable this is. “Here, let me show you.”

Without thinking too much about it, he positions himself behind her - so it might be easier for Kori to understand what, exactly, he is talking about. When Dick touches her forearms, opening them and now she is like a "T", he realizes that it was a big mistake. Looking excited by his movement, Starfire can't help but move her body, turning her face to look at him through her own shoulder. Her hips are almost touching his now, the scent of red hair almost makes him dizzy.

Big mistake, Grayson, big mistake.

Even so, he is unable to move away from her.

“You... You need to make sure you're using that part, Star” he finds himself mumbling, even if he doens't mean to. And as each word comes out of his mouth, Dick slides his fingers down her neck, arms, down to her hands. Without gloves, with bare hands, he never wished so much that her top didn't have the long sleeves it does; but even under the fabric, it boils with every touch of his. Because of the fabric, he can't tell if she has goosebumps, but, God, he is. And it's not even an intimate touch! For God's sake, he's touching her arms. Her damn covered arms. When Dick reaches her fingers, long and with large and very feminine nails, Dick needs to restrain the desire to intertwine with his own and kiss her on the back of the neck, hugging her from behind. “And that your weight is distributed over here” And he goes back down her arms, so that he goes down her ribs, waist, until he stops with both hands on her hips, a contained sigh caught in his lips. Damn it. Her skin is soft and warm under his touch; he needs to bite his lower lip. He could feel every tense muscle beneath that smooth skin.

Stopping any movement, he continues with both hands there, right on her hip, thinking about how low her belt is; exactly like Artemis's were and, at the height of his 14 years, Dick tried not to think too much about it. His stomach, his chest, his groin, burns with the urge to pull her back, toward his own hip, joining her in one go. Starfire is just a few inches taller and Dick could easily pull her red hair out, put it forward, and suck the entire exposed skin line from the back of her nape and neck, while sliding his dominant hand further forward, stroking her where it was most interesting - kissing and whispering, in her earlobe, that she should sigh lower, or the whole team would listen.

All of this, of course, brushing his erection on that wonderful ass, prancing towards him, and he...

“Richard…?” Dick hears a whisper, almost faltering, that takes him out of his thoughts. When she sighs, breathing as if her breath isn’t enough, he knows, he is sure, that it isn’t repudiation.

It's a request. Could only be.

Only now does he realize that he has spent too long squeezing Koriand'r's hips and imagining things he shouldn't have imagined. Frowning as he released her, he’s wondering if he had become some kind of pervert.

Christ, for her, probably. 

“Sorry, I ... um ... I was thinking of more tips” he lies.

Blatantly lie and it doesn't seem to buy her a bit. After so long being a "dog," as Wally liked to say, Dick was to be expected to be unimpressed with little. Little contact, few kisses, few exchanges of looks. And he really wasn’t easily impressed. He had had a lot of interesting experiences, especially with girls outside the team, his fun between relationships. Zatanna, Rocket, Batgirl, they were all great girls. They all liked things that weren’t very similar; with each of them, Dick had had the opportunity to learn new things and be happy, even if in a totally different way.

But none of them… No, none of them had messed with him like she did. As Kori did, right now, lips parted and eyes that said, brilliant, that he could have continued and done everything he imagined, every detail, and she was all his. Not only was she the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, he didn't just want to have sex with her - and he did wanted it a lot, really - with Kori things were… different.

“But I couldn't remember any more, so let's go up.”

Wow. These had probably been the most tumultuous thoughts he had ever had. Things aren’t easy in the head of the ex-wonder boy - especially with the most beautiful alien right in front of him. Starfire was going to say something, but when she heard him, she shut up immediately and shook her head positively.

He pulls a rectangular bench, which was in the corner, to the middle of the rings and gives Kori his hand to climb up, even though she is a warrior princess who took down many guys bigger than him. Dick is still a gentleman and, yeah, he likes her hand in his, but it's better not to think about it too much. The sensitive discomfort in his pelvis agrees very willingly.

Going up and standing beside her, Dick holds the rings, one in each hand, but without straining, as he is on a platform.

“Maybe I should start with something simpler, but I think you can do it. This movement is called "iron cross"; you will start from that beginning and then you will rise. Your torso must be exactly 90° from your shoulders. To be considered successful, you need to hold at least 3 seconds on the move.” And he tries to demonstrate, rising slightly from the bench, doing it very easily. His impulse is to lift his legs and then fly from there, but he doesn't want to show off.

Looking delighted, Starfire nods her head, as if to say she understood - she seems so happy to be able to see him doing it, so close... Involuntarily, Dick smiles too. Then they change positions and it’s she who holds the rings now, gripping them tightly. She struggles to do exactly the way he did, but Nightwing still needs to adjust the angle of her arms, showing the correct shape of the grip. As Star takes questions and her mint breath invades the tip of his nose, Dick is wondering if he could ignore the short distance and finally kiss her, right there, in front of everyone. She could enjoy the kiss and pass her legs around his waist. He could take advantage of this last movement and explore each piece of skin exposed by the uniform, the firm thighs, to that place that is still completely covered and…

Shaking his head, he checks it again and reminds her to keep her muscles tight.

"Okay, I'm going to move the bench away," he says, going down.

Kori shakes her head positively, and down there, Dick finally pulls the object away. Kori, now completely suspended, seeks him out for further instructions, without it seeming a big problem to hold on by herself. She's just not used to being like that, standing in the air, not flying. Down there, he reminds her to raise her arms more; she tries, but her shoulders are still not correct. Again, and now, Dick sees that her brow is frowning with the effort of supporting her own weight for so long. It's hard for them to train without their powers and her superhuman strength is one of her biggest highlights - being without it, then, was complicated.

Down there, Dick begins to encourage her, telling her to bring her knees closer together, to push her abdomen further, to focus on her arms. Slowly he watches as she closes her eyes more tightly, her face starting to turn red, and, pursing her lips, she finally manages to complete the movement. Herarms are practically a single straight line. Her legs are tightly closed. It’s beautiful to see her in the movement. The way her hair falls to the side, down to her breasts. The muscles protruded from her thick thighs and abdomen.

Her face, in a expression that says she needs to focus a lot, all pink, makes him bite his lower lip. Damn, that was sexy. Did she close her eyes in that the same way when she was almost there...?

He rests her feet on his chest, approaching her to help her down.

"Star, you're perfect," he says, barely thinking, smiling like an idiot. Kori smiles too, now leaning on him, and relaxes her hands very slowly so as not to fall on him (not that Dick would complain). Finally, she releases the equipment and practically slides in Richard's arms, who carefully holds her by the ribs, slowly lowering her in front of him. Starfire is surprisingly light and Dick hardly feels her weight as he falls; until her feet are on the floor and her breasts against his chest, right on the symbol, and they are as close as a hug. Feeling her hands on his shoulders, Richard realizes how warm up he is…. “I mean, the movement was perfect, that's what I wanted to say…”

"Quiet, Nightwing," she murmurs, interrupting him, smiling like never before, her face flushed and her eyes happy.

Their noses almost touch an eskimo kiss that would be most welcome. Thinking about her fingers, which send ripples all over her body, Dick just wanted this to happen. He just wanted to stay there, with her in his arms, orange skin, almost golden, shining between them.

“Richard?” She calls him, the hot air tickling his face. His heart almost leaps in his chest; he loves it when she calls him by his name. His eyes go back to hers; lucky he’s wearing a mask, although he’s pretty sure she can see through the fabric.

“Yes?”

“Is it too silly that I am thinking when I will be able to roll in the air, jump and fall on my feet, as you do?”

Dick smiles.

“Kori, you can fly.”

Star shakes her head from side to side, her fingers tighten on his shoulder.

"Yes, but you do it much better than me," she murmurs, no doubt in his tone. Dick sighs, his chest filling with a lot of love hearing that. “And I want to do as you do; without powers. Promise me you will help me?” And she's still whispering, even though the rest of the team is too busy to pay attention to them. Maybe Barbara was seeing all of this and enjoying his screaming frustration, so good she was at reading his thoughts. With Starfire there, in his arms, Dick couldn't care less. Then Kori looks up, as if thinking about something, and then she bites her beautiful lips. “Hmm… Richard, do you think I’ll get better at this… um... hand-job?”

Dick releases her almost automatically, in another fit of intense coughing. She did these things on purpose. Could only be.

Looking at her with a completely red face, seeing her so confused by the way he released her, it is inevitable to smile. Damn it. He was completely hers, wasn't he? 

_Let's take it steady like a sedative_

_Let's take it steady like a sedative_

_Let's take it steady like a sedative_

_Let's take it steady like a sedative_

  
  



	5. Taste

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who accompanied this fic! This is the last chapter, BUT we will have a sequel, with Kori's vision, called "Sensibility". In two weeks, I think.  
> I hope you guys enjoyed this story and can follow the other one too!  
> Thanks :)
> 
> Today's (and the last) song is When I Say I Love U
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/track/50pc0a9w3AjgSQpuX2H8FR
> 
> The song in the middle of the chapter is Play Me Like A Violin - Stephen.
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/track/2KdYwQDq2yZnDyHjmoGCZj
> 
> Good reading :D

**Taste**

_Burning girl, your flame, burn_

_But please don't burn away_

_Don't make me beg again_

_I'll get down on my knees_

_I try hard babe_

_I do, yes I do_

_I feel that you're the one_

_Baby what you running from?_

_"Not that I have something to do with your life, man, but I thought you and Barbs got a long..."_

Dick closes the fridge with his right foot, opening the beer can. It's saturday night, a holiday, and honestly, Richard Grayson's night couldn't be more depressed - well, now, in fact, it had gotten worse, since his best friend had just quoted his ex-hock-up-is-there-a-name-for-it?, while waiting for his own girlfriend to watch a romantic movie together and, most likely, making out on the couch afterwards. Wishing to sigh, Dick sits back in the chair opposite the table.

"And?" he says, without looking directly at the notebook. Beer. Alfred, who hated most alcoholic drinks, would have looked at him reproachfully. But, damn, how would that improve his night. A little alcohol was all he needed at the moment; maybe that even inspired him to finish his late college work (the reason for being in the apartment and not at Wayne Mansion). "I also got along well with Z."

Richard isn't seeing it, but he can almost feel Wally rolling his eyes.

 _"Bae, Dick is playing dumb again!"_ shouts the redhead to someone outside the image. A few seconds later, however, Dick is frowning at the blonde girl who has just appeared, combing her loose hair. She is wearing pajamas and needs to curl up in the lap of the almost fiancé to be caught on the webcam.

 _"You know very well that we don't buy your bullshit, Dick"_ smiling, Artemis has a slight defiance on her tanned face.

Richard takes another sip, imagining that he should have continued the week's report instead of taking Wally's call, who, as he had said, was "bored because Artemis doesn't get dressed soon and comes to the living room". And was that a good reason, really, to call him?

“Hmm, ‘brothers’ moment here, okay? No girls, just the guys having a heart-moment, getting advice from each other” Dick teases, arching an eyebrow and smiling from. He loves to see when Artemis's countenance change, rolling her eyes, and even the redhead needs to hide his laughter.

Blinking, amused, she says:

 _“Yeah, okay, Wally really has the best advice. Good luck ... You will need it_ ” And she goes out of sight, not before placing a kiss on the redhead's bare shoulder. He, however, looks offended.

 _“Hey, what does that mean?”_ he says, in an angry tone. Dick laughs and can hear the blonde's muffled laugh, because must have already reached another room. _“And, for God's sake, get out of that bathroom, woman!”_ Artemis answers something that the ex boy wonder can’t understand and Wally snorts, looking back at the computer, crossing his arms over his chest. _“On second thought, leave Barbs alone. Enjoy your single life while you can, man.”_

Richard finds himself forced to take another sip, wishing it was something stronger. Single life, huh. He actually enjoyed the single life - but two months ago. Two months! He tries very hard not to remember the times he had turned over in bed during the nights, painfully counting the days he was without sex. Nice.

Single life, yay.

Maybe Wally was right, who knows. He and Barbs shouldn't have come to that stupid conclusion of breaking up. God, he knew her completely and from all angles. With the palm of his hand, with his eyes. He had decorated and adored every part of her, every nuance of her sarcastic and funny personality, the way she always looked him up down, or absurdly straight, because the two were the same, and maybe she was even better. Dick liked being with her, liked to complete her jokes and kiss her when she stopped talking. It was simple, it was easy. It was great. But, to be honest with himself, it had been… different for some time. He still adored her, but the feeling, once so strong, was growing weaker and weaker; he often thought of something else when they talked during a movie, paid no attention to what she said, and had even, surprisingly, been distracted while they had sex.

That had been the trigger.

Now that he hasn’t been got any, maybe if the two of them only did a basic _missionary_ , he would be very happy. However, when he was still with her, there was a missing piece in the puzzle that was once so simple. Dick didn't know what it was, exactly, but Barbara had felt it. And although he tried to ignore it, he obviously felt it too. Then, on a rainy night in Gotham, Barbs said, with his hands in hers, two glasses of wine on the table, that it must be the time. The custom. Perhaps they had already extended that colorful friendship for too long; everything had worn out, then. Richard didn't fight or disagree with her, but he feelt, deep down, that there was something else that Barbara hadn't told him.

Something she knew, something she had noticed long before him.

Since that day, two months ago, they have continued message conversations and missions as usual. They even still flirted and went out together. Only everything was much more superficial, less intimate and, of course, the team had noticed. Perhaps it was Megan who had commented to Artemis and she, then, had told Wally? Well, Dick didn't care. He was even hoping that, at any moment, the redhead would question him about Barbara. The four of them had even gone out on a double date together, so it was normal for the West to be curious.

 _“Hey, planet Earth calling Grayson?”_ Wally jokes. Realizing that he had spent too much time staring at the can and reflecting, Dick blinks, leaving his thoughts. _“Look, you know what I meant. I thought you guys were fine with sex, without romance. Or that, I don't know, you were going to have a normal relationship at any time. Well, um, as normal as two people trained by Batman would be able to…”_

Richard sighs, hiding a smile at the joke. Then he relaxes in the chair, snapping his neck. He wishes he was training now. It always relaxed him; much better than beer or any other alcoholic beverage.

“I don't know, Wally. It was... good. I like her. But things were strange, I don't know, about 6 months ago? Yeah, something like that...” Dick says, shrugging his shoulders. He's still thinking about his involuntary celibacy... Well, he had tried to go out with some girls, but something was blocking him and he was canceling the dates hours earlier. He had come to the conclusion that it was Barbara's longing, messing with his head. It could only be, right? “But we're fine. Anyway, none of us were in love to start something serious, so... It would end at some point.”

 _“If you say so…_ ” The redhead shrugs, trying, somehow, to show support. Dick needs to keep from laughing; his friend really sucks at comforting. _“But seriously, you looked so good together... What happened in the last 6 months, man? I don't know, it might have something to do with it. You should think about it.”_

Dick raises his eyebrows; he is about to say that, in fact, that was a good idea, when his cell phone vibrates. He leaves the can aside and reaches for the device, next to the laptop, but almost rolls his eyes when he sees that it is just one more of the message’s groups that he is in. Seriously, how many good night messages can these people send?

About to turn the cell phone off and go back to the conversation with Wally, this one still impatient with Arty's delay in the bathroom doing who knows what, Richard realizes what group it is. He frowns; is the one that Impulse insisted on doing, of the Team. Dick had hacked his app so that no one knew his personal number, other than those who had already added it, like Barbs and Tim, and accepted the idea after Bart asked for the millionth time.

Richard always ignored all the side issues that the youngest members of the team insisted on discuss there, like when Cassie and Jaime argued for half an hour about a tv show that nobody else watched, and all the stupid jokes that Bart shared just for fun. Sometimes it was even useful to warn about things - and it was even fun to see how Megan cared if Conner responded with emojis or not. This time, however, it was no "good night" that had gotten his attention.

Kori had sent a message.

Star: _"Please, how can I buy a stove on Earth? Experimental purposes."_

Megan: _"A stove??"_

Cassie: _"Do you want to send one to your home planet ...?"_

Bart: _"The order will arrive at the speed of light hahaha"_

Star: _"And counters. I also need counters, please. Preferably the same as our kitchen!"_

Megan: _"Me and Conner can go with you to a store tomorrow, Kori. Do you remember the mall? They sell it there."_

Star: _"Actually, I needed it right now..."_

Jaime: _"Bart, hermano, that was terrible!"_

Cassie: _"Girl?? Are you really going to send stoves to your home planet??"_

Bart: _"She wants to warm things up there hehehe"_

Dick ignores Impulse's stupid comments and types quickly, with his free hand:

_"Kori, why exactly do you need a stove for?"_

She spends a lot of time typing and deleting, even for those who have little experience with cell phones. Wally, still on the call, doesn’t insist on speaking, imagining that the matter is very serious. Without knowing why, Dick treats it like it is. What the hell does Starfire want a stove for, at that hour? She suddenly stops typing and simply sends a photo.

No, he isn’t shocked; it happens after you fight aliens, monsters and psychopaths for years every day. But, honestly, Dick wasn't expecting this.

Starfire had disintegrated the HQ’s kitchen.

  


Richard crosses the Zeta tube, his code name being called too loudly, and walks into the living room; then he is in the kitchen. Well, what's left of it. He can't help arching his eyebrows at the not-so-mortal remains of the stove, counter and cabinets, once stuffed with food. A whole corridor of utensils either extremely damaged, or in simply ashes. It's a dark, smelly mess. The ground is wet and, with the ashes, there is a real mess on the ground too. The smell of burning makes him wrinkle his nose. Great.

When Dick looks to the right, just a little, he sees the cause of the destruction. Kori is leaning against one of the stools that, he would never discover how, she didn’t do the feat of destroying. She stares at the dirt with drooping eyebrows, a light pout on her pink lips. Her eyes were frighteningly, beautifully green, her lashes long and dark, narrowed as if she wished for something to come out of her sight that would undo the mess. Richard is almost thinking how cute she looks upset, when he really realizes how Starfire is.

She is wet from head to toe.

Someone up there was not sorry for him.

Her orange hair, almost red, sticks to her face and neck, falling to her back in damp waves. Perhaps because of her state of mind, it isn’t burning as it normally does, so still soaked. Looking down, Dick can see the well-marked collarbones and the breasts drawn under the fabric, all stuck to her body. Almost exasperated, he notes that she isn’t wearing a bra. Dick bites his lower lip, feeling the uncomfortable, too familiar, in his lower abdomen.

He coughs, trying to convince his muscles, and mind, that he's not the 15-year-old who saw Z without a bra for the first time. Although, with those 2 months, he may have regressed on that scale...

“Typical Tamaran dish?” he asks, good-humored, trying to make her realize that everything is fine. They can replace it al quickly. Okay, she looks beautiful like that, all upset and frustrated, but she looks twice as much when she's smiling and looking at him in a tempting way. Starfire, however, slowly turns her head in his direction, but her expression doesn’t change one bit. Dick feels his cheeks heat up; ok, wrong approach. “Um... what happened ...?”

She sighs, disengaging herself from the stool, also wet, and Dick notices how her blue jeans stick wonderfully to her turned legs. He almost frowns; honestly, it's like all the clothes in the world are made for Kori to wear.

“I... I was trying to cook, you know, but something went wrong and the pan started to burn!” she tells, discouraged, looking at the stove, or what was left of it, still not believing that she had done that. “Then a horrible alarm began to sound, so loud, and water fell from the ceiling! Dick, I had no idea that water could fall from the ceiling like that. I thought only showers would do it” and now she looks at him angrily, as if he were the one who invented the shower; or, um, the sprinklers.

“Um ... I’m sorry...?” he tries, a little confused, trying to speak for the inventor of the showers. Maybe she noticed the inevitable laughter in the corner of his eyes and lips, or was just unsatisfied with the answer, but Kori crosses her arms and stops looking at him. Taking a deep breath, Dick approaches, placing a hand on her shoulder. He wants so much to pull her towards him. “They're anti-fire devices, Kori. They should have put out the fire…”

She shakes her head, still feeling sad.

“It didn't work very well. I… panicked with the alarm sounding, and the water, I don't know… I ended up shooting a starbolt, but I was too close, so…” and she gestures to all the ashes and the carcass of the, once upon a time, ultra-modern stove. Well, that explains a lot, Dick thinks. He still wants to laugh, honestly... Starfire sighs heavily and pulls away, taking his hand off her shoulder and hugging her own body, turning her back to him. “I'm sorry, Richard. I didn't want to damage anything, I swear” she murmurs, between sighs. Although he loves hearing her call him Richard, the mood is instantly gone.

Her voice tone is so dissatisfied that he feels his stomach churn. Dick doesn’t like to see anyone on the team feeling bad, not only because he feels responsible as a leader, but also because he is a mentor and, above all, a friend to everyone. But when is her, when it's Starfire…

Seeing her with her back to him like this, half away from him, Kori looks small, all huddled. Putting his eyebrows together, seriously, Dick approaches again, touches her on the shoulder again; hates to see her like this. She matches the happy, excited and proud spirit. Giving him provocative looks, biting her lips. Like that, God, he adores her.

“Kori, it's okay. You may not even believe it, but everyone has had a problem in the kitchen at least once” he guarantees, in a loving tone. Mentally, he is trying to ignore the fact that very few people have managed to simply blow up the kitchen. He just wanted to see her face.

Star moves her head from side to side. Her hair, wet, makes heavy movements when accompanying.

“X'hal, this is so frustrating. I've been on Earth for 6 months and yet…”A long sigh follows and she puts a lock of hair behind her ear, finally turning and facing him. She looks disappointed. “This is all so complicated”.

Dick feels his own mind spin. She just let off steam, but he can only notice the golden, shiny skin of hers, and the only droplet of water that runs down the root of her red hair, passes over her forehead, circles the tip of her upturned nose and ends up on parted lips. The sweet smell of roses and strawberry plays with him and Richard almost forgets the unpleasant smell of burning. And Kori is looking at him deeply, the green sclera revealing that she is not from this planet. God, he can't even translate that. What he feels when she looks at him like that.

The fingers on her shoulder descend, too fast, down the side of her slim, warm body. Until it reaches the waist, skin exposed because of the cut of her clothes. He presses his fingers lightly, feeling it, without thinking too much about what he's doing; without really thinking about the thousands of things he would like to do with her now.

“Don’t you trust me?” he whispers, seriously, almost without opening his lips. He presses his fingers again on her skin and notices when the green irises, slightly darker than the sclera, run down towards his hand; she isn’t so sad anymore. Kori looks at him again.

Although upset, she smiles, blush running down her tanned face.

“I do. Of course I do.”

“Then. I said it's okay, why would I lie to you?” he promises, very sure of it. His free hand goes to the female face; the tip of his thumb passes lightly through her nose, under her dark circles, trying to dry the water uselessly. When he finally reaches her lips, his thumb gets hotter and hotter, and Kori says nothing, just looking, watching him, encouraging him; Dick stops and contains a sigh. He puts another strand of orange hair behind her ear. Still with his hand on her waist, he steps away a little further. He shouldn't do that. “Um... You didn't have to stay here, or try to cook by yourself. You could have talked to me” he babbles, kind of confused with himself.

He could have kissed her.

Kori shakes her head. It looked like she had thought something - something about him walking away. But Dick can't read her as he does so well, so smoothly, with everyone. Hell. Did she want him? She certainly flirted with him, Richard was no fool. He loved those moments. But was it purposeful, really? She's an alien, after all. What if things didn't work out that way for her? What if he was simply misjudging her?

“If I understand correctly, today is an important festival… that… um… You should spend with the family ...? Well, I didn't want to disturb you.” she says, after thinking for a second. Then she smiles. “And I'm not a child, Richard. I'm just on a different planet.”

“I know, I know, that's not what I meant.” And he finally releases her to shake his hands in surrender, embarrassed. Why did he even need to say something and imply nonsense? His face a little red, Dick scratches the back of his neck. “I just wanted to let you know that you can talk to me whenever you need to. Anything you need.”

Starfire lets her head tilt slightly to the side, her eyebrows raised suggestively. Grayson can feel the collar of his shirt choking his neck. He didn't mean it. Or did he? Well, Kori was smiling, but full of suggestions. Or was it his impression? God, Dick was going crazy.

This girl was driving him crazy.

“Anything, huh ...?” repeats the girl, softly, and the kitchen, now much more empty of utensils than before the little accident, seems to echo her voice in an impressive way.

He tries to forget about his -2 months of experience with women and not blush.

“Anything.”

And he is looking directly at her mouth, her perfect, moist lips, parted in a smile that is too sweet. Kori shifts her body weight from one leg to the other.

“So… Would you help me clean up this mess?” she asks, a little pout on her face.

Richard can hardly hide his disappointment. He scratches the back of his neck and looks around at all the dirt she wants to clean up on the night of this holiday - AND SATURDAY!! He turns to face Starfire and her damp body, already regretting what he is going to say. Maybe the problem wasn’t exactly the “someone up there”; Dick just love to torture himself.

With her in the matter, then…

“I had a better idea.”

  


Dick takes a look at the pasta inside the colander. He had just cooked a medium portion and was now distracted by peeling the garlic cloves. His apartment in Bludhaven, purposely chosen in one of the most remote neighborhoods in the center, had not been bought with Bruce's money - which he liked to say was Richard's money too, and he shouldn't be denying it out of pride - but with an economy that his parents had left and that Lucius, very competent, had turned into a small fortune, big enough for him to buy the apartment, furnish it, buy a simple motorcycle and pay the bills for a few months. It was simple, but it made him happy.

Dick still didn't work because he was, honestly, learning how to reconcile college and the super busy heroic life, so not having to ask for anything other than what Nightwing needed for Bruce made him feel relieved and calmer. Lately, after declining an invitation to work at Wayne Enterprises, because he didn’t see himself stuck in an office, he was thinking too much about the police station in Bludhaven…

Of course, he is reflecting on all this for no apparent reason. It has nothing to do with the red-haired girl taking a shower in hissuite. Absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he thought carefully about the path they would take to get up in his building without anyone noticing that she is a model, all tall, golden, with such extremely green eyes and perfect body, but not having remembered to ask her to bring dry clothes before they entered the HQ's Zeta Tube together. Nothing to do, at all, with the fact that she said, in a sweet voice, that "I can wear something of yours, Richard, don't worry!". He purses his lips.

He had handed her a towel a few minutes ago and had been trying to think of other things ever since, having ‘hunted’ something in the cupboards and refrigerator for them to eat. Dick could even ask for delivery, but he needed to do some activity, anything, to distract himself from thoughts about Starfire. And he did like to cook, actually. He had learned a lot from Alfred, so it was a great way to get him to focus on something other than the most seductive alien on this planet …

“Dick?”

Richard stops peeling the garlic, looking up at the voice that called him. He almost regrets it. Almost.

Kori is rubbing her head slowly with the fluffy towel, drying her damp hair, and her features look much more lively and relaxed now. She is wearing one of his T-shirts, although it is much less loose than in Barbara - Star is tall and has many, um, attributes to fill the piece correctly. At the bottom, one of his sweatpants, black and that marks the wonderful hip and thick thighs too well, although she had to tie the elastic twice in front. Hm… Dick finally realizes why girls love to talk about his ass in those pants…

He can't help but smile a little after biting his lower lip. Koriand'r is so beautiful and his clothes are sexier on her than any other.

“I took the first pieces I saw, I hope you don't mind...?” she says, looking a little embarrassed. Maybe she’s afraid of being rude. Dick, who is also wearing sweatpants and a tight black tank top, shakes his head, still smiling like an idiot.

“Hmm... You look so good in my clothes. Are you sure they weren't made for you?” he mumbles, a tone lower than intended. He can't take his eyes off her thighs, struggling up to her shiny face. He didn't want it to sound that sexy. But Kori, leaving the towel open on one of the chairs, approaches him, smiling in an innocent way.

Damn, he loves that smile.

Then, close to him, Dick can smell his own shampoo, his soap, emanating from her as if it belongs to her. He would never have imagined how erotic it could be.

"Don't give me any ideas, Richard, or I'm going to need to rob your closet" she jokes, smiling, winking at him so provocatively. Then, very slowly, Dick feels when her hand reaches the lower part of his abdomen, the bar of the tank. “Maybe... starting with this one…” and, in a torturous way, she plays with the fabric, as if threatening to take it off, so the ex-boy wonder can feel the warmth of her fingertips, nails, brushing against his skin, his muscles all stiff now.

Damn it. How did she do that? Star wasn't even that close and he was already so completely affected by her presence. His lower belly tingled. He just wanted to drop the knife and run his fingers through her hair, pull her closer…

Suddenly, Kori looked away from his and, frowning, sniffling, she looks at the bench, where Dick's hands are still.

“Are you cooking…?” She murmurs, looking surprised, and slowly her fingers leave his abdomen.

It takes him a lot of self-control not to protest.

“Well, trying to... - he says, not wanting to boast about it; after all, it shouldn't be what she needs to hear, after she has disintegrated the kitchen... Dick shakes his head, watching her run her eyes over the pasta, the spices on the counter. Seeing her teeth on her lower lip, so red, he smirks. “Would you help me?”

Kori blinks, surprised, and looks at him slightly frightened. Uh, he wasn't expecting this. She shakes her head firmly.

“I... I don't think it's a good idea, you know, after today. I don't want to ruin anything in your kitchen…”

Richard looks at her as if everything she has said is foolish.

“You won't ruin anything, Kori; that was an accident” he says, very seriously, hoping that she understands that what had happened is not a big problem. What mattered was that she hadn't been hurt. “Come here, trust me.”

And before she can deny it again, Dick holds her comfortably by the wrist, pulling her close to him with a single movement. It is the first time that he has seen her so uncomfortable, looking through all the items as if they were going to jump on her. Richard cannot contain a smile; so he finally found something that left her off guard, huh?

Star bites her lower lip, a little confused.

“What are you preparing...?” she asks, knowing he won't leave she alone if she doesn't participate. Dick can see that she's curious, too.

“Well ... I confess I wasn't expecting a visit, so I thought of something simple” and he smiled, embarrassed, wishing hw had more ingredients at home for something more sophisticated. “But your royal appetite will have to settle for an Italian salad of farfalle and grilled chicken.”

Kori laughs at the way he talks, smiling with restraint.

“I'm not a princess here.” And she puts a lock of hair behind her ear. Dick is looking at her with such affection that it is impossible to disguise.

“But if you want to start a new kingdom, know that you already have a subject” he murmurs, in a funny tone, but his eyes were very serious.

It’s lovely when flushing fills her cheeks, up to the tip of her nose, and she tilts her head to the side, biting her bottom lip.

“Oh, stop it!” And Kori laughs, looking back at all the ingredients scattered. “But, to be honest, sounds really delicious…”

“The recipe or me?” he says, too good-natured to miss the joke. Starfire is looking at him very funny, trying to contain the giggles that escape her lips. But Dick winks at her, a singing smile.

Suddenly, she looks serious, looking up.

“Now that you mention it, we in Tamaran really have a very important cannibalistic ritual, where…” Starfire is saying, firmly, and Dick's smile disappears at the same moment. Huh. He didn’t mean this... Upon seeing his face, Koriand'r starts laughing, having to close her eyes tightly. “X'hal! I was just kidding, Dick.” She waves her hand in the air and Dick needs to hold a sigh of relief, smiling slightly at hearing her laugh.

“Okay, funny girl. Come help me, these tomatoes won’t cut themselves.”

Kori opens her mouth to say that she is not sure about this, but he holds her closer before she can protest. Skillfully, Dick passes the knife he was using into her hand, swirling like a pocket knife, which makes her laugh. Well, he thinks, with a heart full of almost absurd happiness just being there with her, completely alone and in his apartment, if you need to kill some vegetables, he could deal with it! He takes one of the tomatoes, already without the skin, for Kori to start slicing.

The redhead, however, despite holding the knife firmly, seems totally in doubt about what to do there, exactly ... It's almost adorable.

“Here, like this” and, taking another cutlery from the dish rack, Dick holds a tomato, showing her how to do it with hers. He cuts into several pieces. “Got it?” He asks but even when Starfire nods positively and looks focused at her poor tomato, Richard sees doubt in her eyes.

Internally, and he obviously doesn't know that, Star is telling herself that this is too easy for her to be in so much doubt. Just cut that damn vegetable!

“…fruit.” Dick corrects her, slightly, and Kori raises an eyebrow. He smiles a crooked smile. “You're talking out loud.”

“Uh. Sorry.”

“No, let me guide you with this…” then, without thinking too much about what he is doing, Richard stands behind her, holding her hand with the knife for her, their fingers almost intertwining.

His chest meets her back and his chin her shoulder. Her red hair, magically already dry, is all up her front... The aroma of his shampoo makes him notice what he had done and how close they are now; the memory of a workout a few weeks ago makes his stomach turn. He had been almost as close as that, but now it's so much more... Suddenly, he can feel her ass just above his pelvis, brushing provocatively, but not on purpose, in his abdomen. His other hand finds her other hand, holding the vegetable, or fruit, much more precisely than is really necessary.

But having Starfire so close makes him forget everything. Having her here is something that, suddenly, Richard knows was what he most needed in this whole world. His breath plays on her neck; he can feel it her contracted and, God, he doesn't know if it's nervousness because she's doing something new, or the same desire he was feeling, making his groin hurt.

"So, slowly, small pieces," he murmurs, not really paying attention to the cut.

He was thinking about the warmth of her fingers between his. He was thinking about how much sweeter she looked now, at his house, and the pressure on his abdomen. Too close.

Looking over her shoulder at the cutting board, Dick can see when an animated smile runs across her lips and now her hands are pushing harder, cutting by herself.

“Ah! It isn’t difficult” she says, very concentrated when they take the next, and last, tomato. He also smiles, torturously, very slowly, letting go of her hands, so she can do it by herself.

Still behind Starfire, Dick rests his hands on the counter, one on either side of her, watching as she cuts easily now. She looks hyper happy, and even though he knows it's a simple thing, he can't help feeling happy too.

When she is slicing the last half-cubed tomato, Richard leans over and kisses her shoulder, in a way to say "congratulations". Star looks at him, turning only her head, the smile still on her mouth. Damn, how beautiful she is.

“What was that for?”

“Uh... Earthling costume. You know, kissing someone on the shoulder after the person is successful at something…” He explains, clearly joking, and leans over to let another kiss on her shoulder. Kori shakes her head, smiling at this nonsense. Obviously, it’s a lie.

Then, all of a sudden, she also leans a little and leaves a little kiss on one of his shoulders, biting her lower lip when she sees him arch his eyebrow.

“You succeeded in being a great teacher.”

“Oh, no, Kori, "great teachers" receive another kind of kiss, you know, on the…” before he completes, however, almost laughing, Koriand’r gives a little punch on his arm.

“Don't take advantage!” She says, between laughs, and he smiles too, promising that he won't do it anymore. “Now we just put the tomatoes in the pasta...?” she questions, in doubt.

Dick shakes his head.

“No, let's sauté it in olive oil, with garlic, first” and, when he sees her confused face, again, Dick stops leaning on the counter, knowing that they still have work to do; but if its to teach her and make her happy, that's fine with him.

This time, with him close by, Starfire didn’t destroy any appliances, nor set the room on fire. In fact, amid Dick's laughter and silly jokes, she found the task of cooking, once so frightening, very light and peaceful. Fun, even. Richard couldn't take his eyes off her, as usual. He was finding the way she looked at the pan with a wrinkled nose extremely enjoyable, enjoying the aroma that, little by little, began to fill the kitchen. She always seemed to be alert in case something went wrong; Grayson tried to make her relax by explaining that it was all very simple and fast. He explained about the different pastas and even managed to extract, between giggles, recipes for tamaran foods that, for the most part, didn’t need cooking.

Then, when the Italian salad was ready, and Dick had just grilled chicken cubes, Kori looked at the container as if she could devour it all at once.

Richard thanked himself mentally that he still had a bottle of wine, and after setting up the small four-seater table, the two sat down to eat.

“X'hal, this is wonderful” Kori said, closing her eyes tightly while savoring the first mouthful. Her face was rosier when she finally opened her eyelids again, looking at Dick in a very… mysterious way. “I had no idea that you cooked so well.”

Richard was trying not to think about how, under the table, she had crossed her legs and her foot, barefoot, had lightly brushed his calf.

“Just because I had your help” he said, smiling crooked when he saw her laugh.

“What a lie! I did almost nothing” and, still smiling, Star lifted her glass of wine to her lips, sipping the drink. It was something she really liked on Earth; honestly, alcohol needs a long time to have an effect on her body, and only in high quantities, but the taste of alcoholic beverages was the closest to what she had in Tamaran.

“Maybe not…” Dick smiled too, having to agree that the food was really good. “But your presence today was inspiring.”

Taking the fork very slowly from her lips, Kori's smile seemed more subdued and she averted her eyes from him as she shook her head from side to side, as if disapproving - but clearly ironic.

Richard, without really knowing why, amended any issue, just wanting to hear her voice. When they were like this, Star always ended up talking about her own culture, comparing them, and he loved to hear about every peculiarity of a planet that, most likely, he would never know. He loved it when she bit her bottom lip and laughed, telling him something funny. And then they mended conversations about missions, about free time, about responsibilities, and there was a lot to talk about.

There was a lot, too, in the way she looked at him when, after lathering the dishes, she passed them over to him to dry, and the silence of the night hung around them in a delicious way.

Dick had never imagined, never felt, that bringing someone into his apartment could be as good or as comfortable.

"I didn't say it, but this place is so you," Koriand’r said, looking carefully around. She had found the frames on top of the hack and had carefully taken one in her hands.

Leaning against the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen, still drying the last dish, Dick raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm ... Small and messy?”

Kori laughed, without looking up from the picture frame. Richard, also smiling, put the plate in the cupboard and approached her.

“No, Richard. Comfortable. Welcoming” murmured the red-haired girl, her eyes focused on the glass. She carefully ran a fingernail over the photo. When he got closer, he could see that, among the several he had there, she had taken the most important. The warmth of her body welcomed him sweetly; a few centimeters separated them. “Are they…?”

“Yes” and he shook his head positively. It was an old photo of his parents; Dick was just a baby, a few months old, in his mother's arms. He looked fondly at the photograph, but his eyes strayed back to her, to the affectionate way she smiled and narrowed her eyes, trying to see better.

"She's beautiful," Kori murmurs, her breath playing on his nose. Dick nods, wanting to touch the back of her neck and pull the strands of hair back so that he could stick his mouth over hers.

"Yes, she is," he says, but he's not just talking about his mother. Kori turns to look at him, leaving the frame in the same place she had found it.

Such a powerful look, is the only thing that Richard can think of. The way her pupils are darker than the sclera, the green merging impressively. The red-headed wave falls forward, reaching below her perfect breasts, so prominent in his T-shirt and, if Richard comes just a little closer, he could kiss her at once, end each of his agonies.

She tilts her head slightly to the side; what does it mean? Is that a permission? His lower abdomen is tingling dangerously, his hands are cold. Then, slowly, Star parted her lips, without taking her eyes off his.

“Richard…?”

“Yes?”

“Can I have another glass of wine?”

It takes a lot of self-control to hide the frown that Dick wants to show. Well, that wasn't exactly the request he was waiting for, but he is unable to deny her anything. Wanting to laugh at himself, he agrees and turns away from her to get the glass and bottle. He can hear when Kori sighs, looking resigned to something that, honestly, he has no idea what it is.

When he comes back to her, just one glass in his hand, because he’s full, Kori is smiling wonderfully again. When he hand it over, he hit the control, over the hack, and an idea snakes in his mind at once. While Kori is distracted commenting on a photo of his teen years, totally starched in Gotham school uniform, Dick turns on the home teather, his cell phone connecting almost automatically.

“Sorry, Dick, but you seem to be suffering so much in that tie...!” Kori was saying, laughing openly, when the light out makes her shut up immediately. She looks up from the photo, surprised to see that Dick has hit the switch. Before she can question, frowning in a funny way, a song starts playing.

Kori smiles when she sees that Dick is too.

“Come here. Let me teach you something else that we earthlings like too…” then, seeing her only because of the moonlight, which comes in through all the open windows, Richard raises his arm and goes around her waist, pulling her towards him slowly.

Kori can't resist, biting her bottom lip, red from the drink. It’s crazy to feel her so close, against his torso, her lower abdomen touching his, so hot. So, so hot. But Dick is not willing to let her go.

Fortunately, Star puts her free arm around his shoulder, seeming to know this type of situation much more than he could have predicted.

_I kissed a stranger in a white dress_

_She put a crown on top on my head_

_Said every king needs a queen in his bed_

_She said, hey boy, hey boy_

_I like your style_

_I'll let you play me for a while_

_Play me 'till the sun rises_

_Play me 'till you can't hide it_

_Play me 'till your hands give in_

_Play me like a violin_

"Oh, please," Star says, in a falsely impressed voice. “Show me.”

Dick laughs, pressing his fingers over the fabric that still covers her skin. Her waist is so thin; she is absurdly delicate, despite all the muscles.

“So you know how to dance?”

“I am a princess, am I not?” Kori retrux, having fun, drinking some more wine. Her breath is warm, with a grape aroma.

Enjoying the music, Dick moves them from side to side in his living room, his eyes locked on hers. Every time he moves and her groin meets his, it's torture. But he can't stop - and he doesn't want to. The beat of the song, low but very impressive, is nothing near her voice and how she mess with him.

“That time... Did you say I'm welcoming?” he murmurs, although he doesn't care so much about the answer. He just wants her to keep talking, looking at him in that… wonderful way. As if to say how much she wants to touch him and how much she wants to be with him.

As if, in the whole room, he was the only thing that really mattered. That's how, constantly, Dick is looking at her too.

Her fingers stick to his shoulder, as if the answer is very important. Suddenly, she is so close to him, so perfectly close, that Richard can feel her heartbeat. They spin for a moment, close to the chorus, and Star leaves the glass on any surface. He remains waiting, unable to let go or to stop moving. It's crazy how everything is so dark, but he can see her perfectly in the shadows.

“You were there when I arrived, weren't you?” Kori mumbles back, now both arms on his shoulders. Their foreheads are almost together. “You were there when I was lost, you invited me to the Team, you made sure to make sure I was, that I am, allright, safe. I know you are like that by nature, Richard, that you always tries to do your best, but I…”

He shakes his head, interrupting her.

“No, Kori, with you it's... different.”

Starfire smiles affectionately, and her hands massage his shoulder in a grateful pat, very slowly. Then, all of a sudden, her eyes are shining, purely green, like an energy she tries to contain, but fails to. Kori blinks, the glow comes and goes, but she finally gives up trying to hide it, her face taking on shades of red, but now he can only see under the green light.

God, she is beautiful.

Starfire raises a hand to his face, holding it gently. Her touch is absurdly hot, it sends chills all over his body.

“See? You are my safe haven here, Richard. I know I can trust you. I know with my heart and my mind.”

It’s the culmination for him, like a full glass, his feelings are overflowing unbearably. Koriand'r is the most important thing for Dick right now; every act of her, every speech, every look, he knows, now he recognizes, that he is completely in love. He is crazy for her, for every sound of her laughter, like bells echoing, for her aroma, for her wonderful body, her funny and self-assured personality. It is completely perfect; it is unbearable to be so close, so close, his whole body crying out for her, for every part of her, and not being able to have her.

Not being able to kiss her the way he want to kiss, or holding her so tightly against him that he would be able to destabilize her.

Dick releases a hand from her waist, bringing it to her face, holding her fingers in his, more chills moving his body. He pulls her palm towards him, kissing it gently in the middle, between her fingers, feeling her dig her nails over the skin of his shoulder.

Then he looks at her, keeping his hands together in an unbreakable bond. His expression is so serious, so deep, that he can see when her eyes, still so bright, open more, very surprised.

“Kori, please, please, you want this. For God's sake, you can't tell me you don't want this…” he pleads, in a small voice, so impatient that it hurts. He's been waiting for anything to happen between them since that kiss, months ago. That damn kiss, that marked him as hers for a long, long time. “You do it on purpose, you have to. Talking close to me like this, acting close to me like this. Damn it, Star, you can't be that innocent…” he murmurs, almost desperately, the nocturnal silence echoing his every word about the music, much louder. “I can't stop thinking about you, not for a minute. I've never been so… attracted to someone else that way.” He kisses her palm again, closing his eyes tightly and opening them soon after. “Please, Kori, if you don't want to, if you never wanted to, tell me. I'll never quote that again, I swear I won't. I didn't bring you here with other intentions, but, fuck this, you mess with me. Your voice moves me, your smell moves me, even your skin. I can't take it this way anymore, please…”

And Dick is interrupted, sweetly interrupted. She sticks her forehead to his and, still with intertwined fingers, kisses him intensely; she sighs between his lips when Richard, unable to think of anything else, squeezes her waist twice as hard, lost in her pink mouth. He deepens the kiss with his own tongue, finding hers, feeling it so extraordinarily that she sighs again. She takes her hand from his shoulder to his hair, hooking the black strands between her fingers, tracing attachments and then pulling it in a matter of seconds.

Koriand’r is really kissing him, again. She is melting on his lips and he squeezes her harder and harder, pressing her against his chest, against his groin. She is much sweeter, with a taste of wine, than he remembers 6 months ago. The alcohol in his mouth reminds him of fruit sangria, a flavor he didn't know how much he loves... until now.

Kori separates from him briefly, giving small sweet kisses on the corners of his lips, unable to separate their bodies - she doesn't seem to want to, but even if she does, Dick holds her so hard that, honestly, only if she used her extra strength.

“I… I thought you were with Barbara” she murmurs, a little confused, looking him deeply in the eyes and tightening her fingers in his. Finally, Dick understands all of her hesitation. So that was it.

He strokes her waist and, without restraining himself, kisses her again, pulling her lower lip lightly between his, giving her pecks on lips soon after; he can feel her smiling and it's the best feeling in the world.

“Two months ago, I was. But I couldn't get you out of my mind and she noticed.”

The green eyes move frantically from his mouth to the sharp blue irises and she opens another smile, one that illuminates her golden face, and his heart, which Dick swore to have stopped, beats so hard that it is almost audible. It sends sharp vibrations to each of his members, all of them.

“In Tamaran, I could share a lover with another, however... I don't think I could share you, Richard. With no one.”

Richard hardly has time to indulge in her possessive words, as Kori kisses him again, laughing and holding on with more and more force; he is unable to remember or think about anything other than Starfire and that wonderful moment he is experiencing.

And, even hugging and pressing her against him, it’s still not enough. It’s never enough of it; something tells him, mentally, that it never will be. Her whole body is so hot and stiff that another shiver runs down his spine when he feels the maddening tension in his pants. Then Dick, dropping his hands too fast, grabs her by the ass, squeezes her between his fingers and pulls her up, making Kori circle her legs on his hips. Now she holds his face with both hands, moaning against his lips when, seizing the moment, he slaps her ass very hard. The music around them, still playing, is just a shadow.

The perfect middle of her legs, Kori's hottest part, is right against his abdomen and, when she rubs against him, sly for attention in that sensitive part, practically screaming, with her tongue in his, that needs attention, Dick contains a suffered groan. Ah, it's not really is his abs that he would like her to rub herself so badly, even though he didn't find it bad. Heavens, he thinks, now pecking her jaw, how could this girl be so damn fine?! Kori is very light and he has no idea if the girl is using her flight - perhaps unable to control it, like the sparkle in her eyes, even passing closed eyelids, enjoying every touch of him - but he couldn't care less. Automatically, while they’r still kissing, while she is still exploring his hair, the skin of his face, scratching his bare shoulders, he starts walking with her in his lap. Everything else, besides her, the music and the discomfort in her pelvis is a blur.

When they finally reach the couch, much closer than the bed, Dick lays her as gently as he can, still on top of her and between her knees. Then, with much sacrifice, he releases her ass, supporting his hands on each side of her body so strong and still so feminine, lowering the kisses from the jaw to the warm neck.

It’s a strange, extremely exciting mix between the smell of his own soap, embedded in Kori as if it belongs to her, and the natural and feminine aroma that she is exhaling.

She laughs when Dick runs the tip of his tongue from her chin to her collarbones, but soon her laughter turns into a long, choppy breath, her long fingers pulling his hair even more, when Richard bites her exposed skin and sucks it gently. Kori throws her head back, closing her bright eyes, wishing for more of it. Dick can only immerse himself in her sick flavor, caressing her hip, wanting to smile when he recognizes the scent of his perfume and deodorant there… how many of his things did Kori use?

His boxer is getting tighter and tighter, but he controls the mind-boggling urge to drop his hand over there in order to kiss and feel every piece of skin exposed on her neck. His will, however, is broken when he feels the delicate hand, once on his hair, going down his torso, just like fire, invading his tank top and scratching his entire abdomen with force.

“X'hal, I love the way you use your mouth on this planet...” Starfire mutters, with difficulty, and Dick, hearing the Innocence in her voice, laughs against her golden skin. He can see all her pores prickly. Then, tortuously, her fingers go down to the waistband of his pants, playing with the elastic. Grayson looks up, wants to look you in her face; he finds her lips parted, herbreath hitched, the blush running up to the tip of her upturned nose, and her eyes shining brighter than ever. She is like a goddess.

And finally Kori gets to where she wanted to go; very slowly, he can feel her passing, over the pants, the palm of her hand along the protruding extension, massaging it in a provocative way. Dick sighs, placing his forehead on hers, so pleased with such a simple touch; he bites his lower lip, without hiding a moan. Kori doesn't take her eyes off his when she squeezes and massages his cock harder. Richard sees when she smiles like an evil cat, extremely pleased to see him so numb.

Koriand'r runs her tongue over her upper lip, loving to feel him in her hand.

“Should I use my mouth here, too?” She whispers, breathing against his nose, pressing him between her legs. Dick, completely out of breath, can only grab her thigh, squeezing it between his fingers, when he feels Kori finally reach inside his pants and underwear, holding his cock, stroking her hand up and down.

It’s almost unbearable; it seems that it has been so long since he had felt that kind of pleasure and with her everything is so much more intense. Everything is so strong with her, every sensation is impossible. He bites his bottom lip, the hand that is not on hwe thigh going to the back of her neck, pulling her up.

“Fuck, Kori, why are you torturing me?”

He sighs every time it increases and decreases, almost to the rhythm of the music playing, and Starfire just smiles, kissing him voluptuously, biting his lips without haste. Richard, however, returns to kiss her neck, but finally puts his hands inside the shirt, his shirt, and runs through her skin with the tip of his skilled fingers, trying to draw, feel, the well-defined muscles of her belly. And to think how much he imagined touching her in that area… when he goes up a little more, now leaving a hickey below her earline, he finds her breast. He can feel the nipple swelling and, without taking it any longer, he squeezes the flesh in his hand, sucking her earline harder. Kori immediately stops masturbating him when he does so, moaning louder than before.

He laughs against her neck; so, this is a sensitive spot? Nice to know …

Dick presses his palm against her breast once more, loving the feel of her stiff nipple, playing with it between his fingers - she moans in approval, calling his name so low that it's almost inaudible. He only stops touching it, momentarily, to remove his own top; when he comes back, however, he spreads more kisses on all the purple skin - hmm… maybe she didn't like all these hickeys, but he was very proud of the feat. Then he lowers his face, kissing her breasts over the shirt, brushing his teeth through the fabric. While doing this, with both hands on her ass, he pulls her towards his very vivid erection. The pant’s fabric is thick, but he can perfectly feel the delirious heat that comes from between her legs; the point he wants to touch the most...

Richard finally removes Kori's shirt, leaving her with her torso completely exposed, his whole body shaking with approval at the sight. Kori is panting and looking at him with narrowed eyes; her chest goes up and down, it’s a vision of heavens. The pink nipples, small and wonderful areolas, inviting him. Every pore of her, from the belly, minimal waist, stands out on the shiny, golden skin. Dick runs his hand over her; she’s totally perfect.

He bends and kisses her breasts, encouraged by the small hands on her shoulders and back, now naked. Kori continues to bend over backwards as he explores her with his tongue, approving each act in delicious moans, begging him to descend further and further.

“Richard…” she calls, scratching his back, and he can feel the sweat that all that heat of Starfire is causing in his body.

Christ, the way she mumbles her name... Still licking her breasts, playing with the nipple between her teeth, Dick lets one of his hands slide slowly, until finally reaching the part so hot, so inviting... He separates her thighs, running his fingers gently, rubbing her in the most sensitive area, still above the fabric. Now on his shoulders, he feels when sparks come out of her fingers, burning him like little crackles. Dick is unable to complain.

“X'hal… Richard…” Kori tries to say, but he massages her too hard and she seems at the height of something very good.

He doesn't expect any more answers and, ceasing to taste the skin of her belly with his mouth, Dick finally pulls her pants down, making her lift her hips to remove the piece completely. Now on his knees on the sofa, Richard smiles when he sees that, contrary to what he had imagined, she isn’t completely naked.

Kori is using one of his boxers; a white one that, stuck to her mound of venus, reveals all the moisture of her excitement. Looking at him with a flushed face, breathlessness, Koriand'r pulls her own knees apart, begging him to do something. His cock pulsates inside his underwear, the most erotic sight of his entire life. Honestly, he must love her. This can’t be just desire, it’s impossible.

When he realizes it, her foot is running along his abs, playing with the waistband of his pants and Kori mutters, taking advantage of their position to bring her hips closer and rub the hot and wet medium between her legs on his thigh.

"Please, Richard, I need to feel you _here_..." she pleads, her voice hoarse with desire, her green eyes shining like never before.

Dick has no idea where he takes the courage to deny her that, but he runs her lips over with his thumb until Kori part her lips and sucks, too eagerly, on his fingertip, without interrupting the exchange of looks. He bites his lower lip, imagining that perfect mouth on his penis.

"Not yet, babe," he murmurs, running his hands over each of her legs, massaging her skin. Koriand'r blinks, looking confused, but her panting shows how anxious she is. There is only one thing that prevents him from simply taking off what was left of their clothes and invading her, fucking her at once... He kisses the middle of her breasts. “I want to do something first…” and now her belly, where he leaves a small bite. Kori sighs, stroking stronger his shoulders.

And, without warning, Dick removes the last piece on her body. Then he can see, dying of lust, all the pink intimacy, completely wet, open for him. Her pussy ready for him. Christ, she is wonderful, totally, now he knows. Kori is beautiful, just beautiful, he has no words for it. He has no words for the feminine and strong aroma that invades his nose, that calls him to her, that invites him in every possible way.

Richard leans in and finally kisses her over the mound of venus, over and over again; it's wonderfully hot. Then further down, where it is extremely wet, Dick presses his lips against it. But it isn't enough; he kisses the entrance, finally letting his tongue know the path he had longed for all that time, tasting it all over his mouth. Groaning something he cannot understand, and he is sure it’s in her mother tongue, Kori simply stops squeezing him; her toes buckle and he smiles against her intimacy. That's when, slowly, he slides his tongue up and sucks on her clitoris, making circular movements, squeezing her thighs in his hands tightly.

“Richard, ah, R-Richard…” Kori growls in a too thin tone, and her hands find his hair, pulling him against her intimacy.

Richard gropes her thighs, kisses her, and then returns again to where she wants him to be - and where he wants to be. He penetrates her with his tongue, exploring the most feminine part of her entire body, he passes his nails delicately on the skin of her waist, on her ass, wanting more and more of her. He can’t tell what flavor it is; that bittersweet, salty taste invades his mouth. But, God, that's all he wants. She is everything he wants, maybe a little more. Way beyond what he imagined. Much tastier than anything in his imagination, for sure.

Then, while he’s feeling her tremble, Kori finally explodes in his mouth, reaching an orgasm that makes her arch her body and let go - moaning loudly, she needs to hold on to the sofa as not to fly, her body already inches from the upholstery; X'hal, she is using everything she has to not release any energy impulse. However, while Dick watches it, that's not what he sees; Christ, she's shining. Literally, shining. Because of him.

Koriand’r remains like this for a few seconds; extremely red face, hair floating like fire, glowing orange. Still with his hands on her thighs, Richard watches in silence, biting his lower lip, wanting to lean over and kiss her more and more.

Finally Star opens her eyes, raising her hand to touch him slowly, as if afraid to burn him unintentionally; it's a very hot touch, but he would never complain. She looks at him extremely satisfied, happy and… um… insatiated? Then, without warning, Kori pulls him by the waistband of his pants, making him fall on the sofa and standing on his side, too. She places one leg on his hip, brushing her wet pussy directly on his even firmer erection. Kissing him on the lips, hugging him very tightly, and their foreheads are together again. Then she smiles, looking at him very suspiciously.

“Oh, Dick, there is something I want to do too ... Something for you don't forget, never…”

Not that she needed it, Grayson thinks, pulling her closer. Kori had messed with him in every way possible; his sight, hearing, smell, touch and, now, taste, were all hers.

His heart too.

Totally.

_When I say I love you, I mean I need you_

_When I say I love you, I mean I need you_

**Author's Note:**

> Did you guys like it? Any suggestion? Please, let me know!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


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